Misconceptions about PC gaming.

[Goronian]

And games that only obsessive-compulsive NERDS can handle, like Europa Universalis and Mount And Blade (and like HoMM3, I suppose, but then again...).

Hey now! EU is *awesome* :-D

I never said it isn't. But it's still a game you have to invest a lot more into, compared to other games. And... It can get really boring, unless you're "into" it.

 

[Lunar Shadow]

And games that only obsessive-compulsive NERDS can handle, like Europa Universalis and Mount And Blade (and like HoMM3, I suppose, but then again...).

Hey now! EU is *awesome* :-D

I never said it isn't. But it's still a game you have to invest a lot more into, compared to other games. And... It can get really boring, unless you're "into" it.

This coming from someone that plays WoW. Not faulting you for it, just pointing out the irony.

 

[searanox]

Okay, I'll be more serious this time. In my experience, and most of my friends, to boot (some of them religious PC-geeks and a few programmers as well) technicall and software faults can be encountered around once every three-four months. They CAN be fixed with easy stuff, like reformatting your hard drive, applying some thermopaste or replacing a part or two, but still, you need to spend a lot of time fixing that. I can reinstall Windows and apply all the drivers and setups needed in under one-and-a-half hour. But it's still one-and-a-half hour, I would rather spent doing something else. Not only that, I will need to spend TEN TO TWENTY HOURS of re-downloading WoW or EQII after it, while they eat my connection speed. Not only that, but when something goes to crap, how should I know WHAT have gone to crap? Maybe it's GPU. Maybe it's CPU. Maybe it's mainboard. Who knows? I don't have spare ones laying around to check, I have to chuck it to the maintenance center and wait there for them to finish, which could eat up AN ENTIRE DAY out of my time. While, you know, even if something happens to my 360, I just send it over to MS and continue on with doing whatever I please for two weeks, until it returns.

Yeah, sometimes stuff does go wrong. I usually have to mess around with stuff on my computer once every couple of weeks at the least, but I actually enjoy doing it so it's not that big an issue to me unless I really want to do something like play a game immediately. I've got a netbook I use for school stuff and I've never had an issue with it, ever, because I don't modify anything with it. I browse the Internet and use OpenOffice.org. Start installing new drivers, games, defragmenting hard drives, pirating dubious files, etc. and you're going to run into problems sooner rather than later. The fact that you do have such critical issues so frequently that require you to wipe your drive points to the fact that you're probably doing something wrong. The more you use a computer, the more you learn about it and how to use it, as well as how to diagnose problems. I can understand complaining about specific issues because I myself have had some problems that required a lot of work to fix. However, I've also never seen a computer that had significant software-related problems in spite of the user operating it properly.

 

[Goronian]

And games that only obsessive-compulsive NERDS can handle, like Europa Universalis and Mount And Blade (and like HoMM3, I suppose, but then again...).

Hey now! EU is *awesome* :-D

I never said it isn't. But it's still a game you have to invest a lot more into, compared to other games. And... It can get really boring, unless you're "into" it.

This coming from someone that plays WoW. Not faulting you for it, just pointing out the irony.

Bah, you've never saw "time-consuming MMO", until you've played FFXI. WoW is really-really easy, and aside from high-level raiding you can play 3-4 hours a week and be 80 in two-three months, if you won't slack off too much. Most MMOs require time to play, but it's expected from them.

Okay, I'll be more serious this time. In my experience, and most of my friends, to boot (some of them religious PC-geeks and a few programmers as well) technicall and software faults can be encountered around once every three-four months. They CAN be fixed with easy stuff, like reformatting your hard drive, applying some thermopaste or replacing a part or two, but still, you need to spend a lot of time fixing that. I can reinstall Windows and apply all the drivers and setups needed in under one-and-a-half hour. But it's still one-and-a-half hour, I would rather spent doing something else. Not only that, I will need to spend TEN TO TWENTY HOURS of re-downloading WoW or EQII after it, while they eat my connection speed. Not only that, but when something goes to crap, how should I know WHAT have gone to crap? Maybe it's GPU. Maybe it's CPU. Maybe it's mainboard. Who knows? I don't have spare ones laying around to check, I have to chuck it to the maintenance center and wait there for them to finish, which could eat up AN ENTIRE DAY out of my time. While, you know, even if something happens to my 360, I just send it over to MS and continue on with doing whatever I please for two weeks, until it returns.

Yeah, sometimes stuff does go wrong. I usually have to mess around with stuff on my computer once every couple of weeks at the least, but I actually enjoy doing it so it's not that big an issue to me unless I really want to do something like play a game immediately. I've got a netbook I use for school stuff and I've never had an issue with it, ever, because I don't modify anything with it. I browse the Internet and use OpenOffice.org. Start installing new drivers, games, defragmenting hard drives, pirating dubious files, etc. and you're going to run into problems sooner rather than later. The fact that you do have such critical issues so frequently that require you to wipe your drive points to the fact that you're probably doing something wrong. The more you use a computer, the more you learn about it and how to use it, as well as how to diagnose problems. I can understand complaining about specific issues because I myself have had some problems that required a lot of work to fix. However, I've also never seen a computer that had significant software-related problems in spite of the user operating it properly.

Actually, for me reformatting is an "easy way out". I'm not going to mess with all the setups and register files, just to track a single loose DRM, that decided to eat my system just for the sake of it (happened once or twice, actually. In the times, when StarForce was young and exclusive to a few Akella games. You don't wann now.). My biggest personal screw-up was when I accidentally installed a keylogger and then a free antivirus, without bothering to delete the old one. Yeah, that pretty much begged for a formatting.
Other than that, I often find my system stutter after six or so months of no reformatting, under the weight of odds and ends of deleted games, files, drivers, broken registry enters and the like. Even stuff like CCleaner doesn't do much.

 

[crimsondynamics]

It bloody is, if it breaks. Which PCs tend to do every other month. Most of the time, you can fix them yourself. Most of the time.

Someone doesn't know very much about computers.

I bloody well don't and don't want to. I know just enough to assemble it, but it's not my fault when something goes "urk" and mainboard decides, that it really wanted to be a frying pan, when it was younger.

rant

Xbox RRoD?

Uh... Which... Barely exists now?

troll

That's a 2/10 on the PC trolling scale. You can do better than that.

Yes, I'm sure your SDF standarts are higher than that. Which articles have you done there?

But it existed, and the failure rate was far higher than the industry average. You saying your computer broke every few months falls well outside the industry average for any PC part. The Xbox 360's RRoD forced a US$1B warranty extension. There is a slight difference here.

Now why would I write for the SDF? You seem to be the overly zealous console fanboy here, who would be more appropriate to write an article there?

Now, moving to your other fallacies:

1. But you HAVE to know, how to make a PC, where to get the parts etcetera. You can do this, but is this really worth all the hassle, just to play WoW and see two extra pixels in Generic Shooter 5?

There are companies that have all the parts, assemble the computer and install the operating system for the end user. It's not unheard of.

http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?oc=dxcwqj1&c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&kc=productdetails~desktop-xps-430

As for your 2 extra pixels in FPSs, you do realize that despite all the hype, consoles have an extremely hard time even reaching 1280x720 resolution, while PCs routinely have been reaching 2560x1600 since before HDTV?

Generic shooter 5? You mean which one? Call of Duty 4 (PC/PS3/360), Bioshock (PC/PS3/360), or Crysis (PC / oh, that's right)?

Now between the 360 and the PC, which one do you think allows me to play Gears of War at 1920x1080 native resolution (not upscaled) at 60fps with very high quality textures? Wait - before you say I have a US$2000 rig, I bought mine for USD900 - about 10 months ago (probably half that price now).

2. A gaming PC isn't upgraded every year
It bloody is, if it breaks. Which PCs tend to do every other month. Most of the time, you can fix them yourself. Most of the time.

You will keep buying consoles too if they break. What do you do to your computers to have them break every month? You are a statistical anomaly and you aren't representative of the industry at all.

And you're right. Most of the time you can fix it yourself. If you can't you buy a replacement for the broken part and you're ready. Try servicing your console if it fails on you.

3. It doesn't take an IT genius to do
But it still takes time and money spent on research and (most of the times for a newbie) trial and error. Googling trough forums, riding trough town to get better deals and ordering from shady sites online is SO worth it, allright...

Again, you can go to any one of dozens of well-known boutique computer builders including, but not limited to, Dell, Acer, HP, Compaq, IBM, Alienware, Voodoo, Falcon Northwest, and Gateway who have pre-made computers, will assemble them for you, install the operating system for you, and deliver it to your front door. You don't have to leave your home unless you want to.

Your going to shady sites is your own problem. I don't buy my stuff from shady sites, you shouldn't either to buy your gear. Maybe that's why your computers keep breaking down all the time?

4. Software compatibility
Drivers, Direct X and particular games won't like your sound card/graphic card/case color. Need I say more?

Apparently, yes. If you have the latest driver updates you won't have problems. Boutique computers even install software that automatically updates your drivers so you don't have to.

And nice troll on the case color. My copy of MGS4 won't play either because I have a silver PS3.

5. Patches
You still have to download them and most PC-exlusives (like oh-so-precious RTSes) come half-finished anyway. I dare you play Gothic III unpatched. Better yet, I dare you to play Vampire The Masquarade without downloading 2 gigs of fan patches just to run the bloody thing properly.

You don't have console game patches? Like the Bully patch for the 360, or the GTA IV patch for the PS3, or the Animal Crossing patch for the NDS?

6. Noise
One point I won't argue with, since it's actually true.

Any BTX system from Dell will be quieter than the 360, on par with the PS3 in terms of silence. Nobody told you to get the parts you wanted to assemble your own computer. I sure wouldn't assemble a computer if I didn't know basic concepts like thermal dissipation and acoustic vibration dampening - you know, the things you need to look into and understand if you want to build your own computer? You have boutique options that run perfectly fine, yet you opted to have your "expert" friend assemble a computer for you. And now you complain when the fan is too loud or the computer craps out on you...

7. Crysis
And another one.

And a great game. Crysis Warhead, much more optimized, is perhaps even more impressive. Too bad your console won't ever be able to run it the way it was intended to.

 

[101194]

I buy my own parts and build my own comp. Its a little cheaper and a bit more funner,Plus you know whats in your comp and what games it can run saving you money

 

[Goronian]

But it existed, and the failure rate was far higher than the industry average. You saying your computer broke every few months falls well outside the industry average for any PC part. The Xbox 360's RRoD forced a US$1B warranty extension. There is a slight difference here.

But what's the point of bitching about it now?

Now why would I write for the SDF? You seem to be the overly zealous console fanboy here, who would be more appropriate to write an article there?

Um... It's a parody site, to your information. And if you read back, I have a great appreciation to a nearly fully PC-exclusive Might And Magic series and even some recent games, like Sacred 2.

Now, moving to your other fallacies:

Touche.

1. But you HAVE to know, how to make a PC, where to get the parts etcetera. You can do this, but is this really worth all the hassle, just to play WoW and see two extra pixels in Generic Shooter 5?

There are companies that have all the parts, assemble the computer and install the operating system for the end user. It's not unheard of.

http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?oc=dxcwqj1&c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&kc=productdetails~desktop-xps-430

But the original poster made the point that it's cheaper to assemble it yourself, to make his point.

As for your 2 extra pixels in FPSs, you do realize that despite all the hype, consoles have an extremely hard time even reaching 1280x720 resolution, while PCs routinely have been reaching 2560x1600 since before HDTV?

Who cares? You know what, buddy? I can barely see the difference with my untrained "console-tard" eye.

Call of Duty 4 (PC/PS3/360)Bioshock (PC/PS3/360), or Crysis (PC / oh, that's right)?

So? I'd still take NOLF2 any day over any of these, except Bioshock, which is quite good. "I'm a highly trained marine/soldier, with no emotion and soul, let me kill some baddies, HURRRR...". Yes, I know COD4 is better, than that, but I would rather play as a Snazzy 60-ies she-spy, or a depressed ex-cop with women issues.

Now between the 360 and the PC, which one do you think allows me to play Gears of War at 1920x1080 native resolution (not upscaled) at 60fps with very high quality textures? Wait - before you say I have a US$2000 rig, I bought mine for USD900 - about 10 months ago (probably half that price now).

Um... Which one allows you to play from the couch, preferrably with your girlfriend, sitting by your side? Yeah.

2. A gaming PC isn't upgraded every year
It bloody is, if it breaks. Which PCs tend to do every other month. Most of the time, you can fix them yourself. Most of the time.

You will keep buying consoles too if they break. What do you do to your computers to have them break every month? You are a statistical anomaly and you aren't representative of the industry at all.

Every OTHER month. Read before you post. And learn the meaning of "exaggeration".

And you're right. Most of the time you can fix it yourself. If you can't you buy a replacement for the broken part and you're ready. Try servicing your console if it fails on you.

I did that to my PS2, back in the day. You pop the ***** up, and fiddle with laser a bit. Moreover, I know a guy, who can fix the PS2's laser for a beer.

3. It doesn't take an IT genius to do
But it still takes time and money spent on research and (most of the times for a newbie) trial and error. Googling trough forums, riding trough town to get better deals and ordering from shady sites online is SO worth it, allright...

Again, you can go to any one of dozens of well-known boutique computer builders including, but not limited to, Dell, Acer, HP, Compaq, IBM, Alienware, Voodoo, Falcon Northwest, and Gateway who have pre-made computers, will assemble them for you, install the operating system for you, and deliver it to your front door. You don't have to leave your home unless you want to.

Again, letting the original poster's idea of creating your own to save money pass you. What's wrong with you, anyway?

Your going to shady sites is your own problem. I don't buy my stuff from shady sites, you shouldn't either to buy your gear. Maybe that's why your computers keep breaking down all the time?

EXAGGARATION!

4. Software compatibility
Drivers, Direct X and particular games won't like your sound card/graphic card/case color. Need I say more?

Apparently, yes. If you have the latest driver updates you won't have problems. Boutique computers even install software that automatically updates your drivers so you don't have to.

Original poster:
"You don't need to be an IT genius and spend a lot of money, to get a custom rig, that works fine"
"Yes, I see your point, but here are my counterpoints"
Learn to read the thread.

And also, try dealing with EARLY versions of StarForce, for example. Or configuring DosBox to run some older games. Have fun.

And nice troll on the case color. My copy of MGS4 won't play either because I have a silver PS3.

Never saw that Windows RE flash on NG? I stole the joke from there.

5. Patches
You still have to download them and most PC-exlusives (like oh-so-precious RTSes) come half-finished anyway. I dare you play Gothic III unpatched. Better yet, I dare you to play Vampire The Masquarade without downloading 2 gigs of fan patches just to run the bloody thing properly.

You don't have console game patches? Like the Bully patch for the 360, or the GTA IV patch for the PS3, or the Animal Crossing patch for the NDS?

I only have AC, out of these games and never had a problem with it. But you still have to admit, that a lot of GOOD PC-only games ARE unfinished to the point of madness.

6. Noise
One point I won't argue with, since it's actually true.

Any BTX system from Dell will be quieter than the 360, on par with the PS3 in terms of silence. Nobody told you to get the parts you wanted to assemble your own computer. I sure wouldn't assemble a computer if I didn't know basic concepts like thermal dissipation and acoustic vibration dampening - you know, the things you need to look into and understand if you want to build your own computer? You have boutique options that run perfectly fine, yet you opted to have your "expert" friend assemble a computer for you. And now you complain when the fan is too loud or the computer craps out on you...

Can I link to facepalm.jpg here? I was responding to original poster. Read. Him. First.

7. Crysis
And another one.

And a great game. Crysis Warhead, much more optimized, is perhaps even more impressive. Too bad your console won't ever be able to run it the way it was intended to.

Why? Another FPS McGrufferson? Please, this genre is so stale, the breadcrumbs under my table feel like whipped cream. I don't care about all the superpowers and pretty scenery in the world, I want GAMEPLAY and STORYLINE none of which Crysis could provide me. I had more fun playing TimeShift.

 

[Goronian]

So what has Goronian taught us thus far?

All I've learned is that people who don't know how to build computers shouldn't build them.

Wow! Thanks for that :]

So what have you thought us thus far? That irony and exaggaration are two things unknown to the net? Riiight...

 

[Fanboy]

If you put the effort in, PC gaming is a much better experience.

If you're not willing to do so, then you're just going to waste money and be disappointed.

 

[Goronian]

If you put the effort in, PC gaming is a much better experience.

If you're not willing to do so, then you're just going to waste money and be disappointed.

Please, why is it a better experience? I would like to know why. Aside from graphics, of course.

I have no problem with older PC games, pre-2006, or so, but I barely see any good PC-only games coming out, except for MMOs and Sacred 2.

 

[Bulletinmybrain]

If you put the effort in, PC gaming is a much better experience.

If you're not willing to do so, then you're just going to waste money and be disappointed.

Please, why is it a better experience? I would like to know why. Aside from graphics, of course.

I have no problem with older PC games, pre-2006, or so, but I barely see any good PC-only games coming out, except for MMOs and Sacred 2.

You can run games better, imagine if you tryed running Eve Online on something like a ps3, or 360. It woudn't because they simply don't have the RAM to do so.

 

[Goronian]

If you put the effort in, PC gaming is a much better experience.

If you're not willing to do so, then you're just going to waste money and be disappointed.

Please, why is it a better experience? I would like to know why. Aside from graphics, of course.

I have no problem with older PC games, pre-2006, or so, but I barely see any good PC-only games coming out, except for MMOs and Sacred 2.

You can run games better, imagine if you tryed running Eve Online on something like a ps3, or 360. It woudn't because they simply don't have the RAM to do so.

No, not really. Most of the RAM is eaten up by the operating system. DCU Online is getting released on the PS3, pretty soon, and it's a modern MMO.

Push Ctr-Alt-Del and see for yourself. Windows and background thinds, like AIM, MSN and net browser eat some 837 MB, on a barely-month-old system with no useless sht installed. I know, it's not RAM, but sorry, I don't know, how it's called it English and I'm too lazy to check.

 

[ChromeAlchemist]

Ah but as a PC gamer (I'm one of them) you get a little extra something that console users don't get. Bullshit. Steam, for example, can be an incredible pain depending on your system configuration. Sometimes you'll just get that one game, that takes a god damn age and a magical balance of old driver/new driver to run. It's a hassle pleanty of gamers don't want to deal with.

Oh, and the ports are terrible.

I blame Microsoft for that, and I always will. I still cannot get GoW to work on my pc (vista 64 bit), and yes it is mostly epic games' fault but microsoft still has to give those games the green light.

 

[The Wooster]

Ah but as a PC gamer (I'm one of them) you get a little extra something that console users don't get. Bullshit. Steam, for example, can be an incredible pain depending on your system configuration. Sometimes you'll just get that one game, that takes a god damn age and a magical balance of old driver/new driver to run. It's a hassle pleanty of gamers don't want to deal with.

Oh, and the ports are terrible.

I blame Microsoft for that, and I always will. I still cannot get GoW to work on my pc (vista 64 bit), and yes it is mostly epic games' fault but microsoft still has to give those games the green light.

Saddly the only rational response to your statement is "Haha. Vista"

 

[Bulletinmybrain]

If you put the effort in, PC gaming is a much better experience.

If you're not willing to do so, then you're just going to waste money and be disappointed.

Please, why is it a better experience? I would like to know why. Aside from graphics, of course.

I have no problem with older PC games, pre-2006, or so, but I barely see any good PC-only games coming out, except for MMOs and Sacred 2.

You can run games better, imagine if you tryed running Eve Online on something like a ps3, or 360. It woudn't because they simply don't have the RAM to do so.

No, not really. Most of the RAM is eaten up by the operating system. DCU Online is getting released on the PS3, pretty soon, and it's a modern MMO.

Push Ctr-Alt-Del and see for yourself. Windows and background thinds, like AIM, MSN and net browser eat some 837 MB, on a barely-month-old system with no useless sht installed. I know, it's not RAM, but sorry, I don't know, how it's called it English and I'm too lazy to check.

My 6 year old stock dell computer can process the internet at little to no effort, I can have MSN open, downloading something and browse the internet and it doesn't chug at all.

Eve on the other hand has me chugging every second because of the sheer assload of stuff going on.

DCU will not have as nearly as much going on as Eve. Its like a toned down WoW.

 

[Goronian]

If you put the effort in, PC gaming is a much better experience.

If you're not willing to do so, then you're just going to waste money and be disappointed.

Please, why is it a better experience? I would like to know why. Aside from graphics, of course.

I have no problem with older PC games, pre-2006, or so, but I barely see any good PC-only games coming out, except for MMOs and Sacred 2.

You can run games better, imagine if you tryed running Eve Online on something like a ps3, or 360. It woudn't because they simply don't have the RAM to do so.

No, not really. Most of the RAM is eaten up by the operating system. DCU Online is getting released on the PS3, pretty soon, and it's a modern MMO.

Push Ctr-Alt-Del and see for yourself. Windows and background thinds, like AIM, MSN and net browser eat some 837 MB, on a barely-month-old system with no useless sht installed. I know, it's not RAM, but sorry, I don't know, how it's called it English and I'm too lazy to check.

My 6 year old stock dell computer can process the internet at little to no effort, I can have MSN open, downloading something and browse the internet and it doesn't chug at all.

Eve on the other hand has me chugging every second because of the sheer assload of stuff going on.

My PC doesn't chug at all, but consoles don't have all that crap flooding the ram. Most of the time, all they have is a spartanic OS (spartanic, as in little and efficent) and a game, while Windows is infamous for loading the system with useless processes. Plus antivirus, firewall and all that.

Saw your edit, never bothered to quote that.
Well, the raw engine is still going to be much more advanced, with more detail on the character models. But who cares, EvE is for people, that "are to nerds, what nerds are to normal people".

 

[Eldritch Warlord]

I blame Microsoft for that, and I always will. I still cannot get GoW to work on my pc (vista 64 bit), and yes it is mostly epic games' fault but microsoft still has to give those games the green light.

Saddly the only rational response to your statement is "Haha. Vista"

You'd think it would work though, Gears of War PC is meant to run on Vista.

My PC doesn't chug at all, but consoles don't have all that crap flooding the ram. Most of the time, all they have is a spartanic OS (spartanic, as in little and efficent) and a game, while Windows is infamous for loading the system with useless processes. Plus antivirus, firewall and all that.

The word is "spartan" (just use it in the context of an adjective) and start cliping your quote pyramid if you're going to continue arguing.